Monthly Archives: September 2014

Hello and welcome to You Wrote The Book, a book based podcast hosted by Simon Savidge. Each fortnight over the coming months he will be joined by a special guest author to discuss their life as a writer and as a reader, from the current novel they have published to the first book they read and everything in between.

Simon’s guest for this episode is Alison Moore whose debut novel The Lighthouse, caused a sensation when it was long and then shortlisted for the Man Booker 2012 along with the National Book Awards that same year. Since then there has been a short story collection, The Pre-War House and Other Stories as well as several short stories in various anthologies, there is also a new novel. He Wants is the story of retired Lewis, cared for every morning by his daughter and still caring for his aging father who is now in a home. Widowed and at a slight loss as to what he has accomplished in his life and what it all means. Why did he never live by the sea like he wanted? Why must his daughter bring him soup when he doesn’t like it? Why does he always visit his second favourite pub? These are all questions he ponders as he reflects. However things are soon to change as an old friend turns up. Simon spoke to Alison about both her novels, the themes of religion books and old age, along with the feeling of being Man Booker Shortlisted with your first novel.

Over the next few episodes Simon will be joined by Victoria Hislop, Kirsty Wark many more. If you have any questions for the authors, would like to suggest authors you think Simon should be getting on the show, or simply want to have a natter about books, you can email youwrotethebook@gmail.com or find us on twitter @youwrotethebook.

If you want to hear Simon talking more books do join him every other week with Thomas Otto on The Readers Podcast, you can also find him chatting and reviewing book on his blog Savidge Reads. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can find previous episodes with Christos Tsiolkas, Evie Wyld, Alan Bradley, Niccolo Ammaniti, Armistead Maupin, Emma Donoghue, Joanne Harris, Patrick Ness, Damian Barr, Kamila Shamsie, Maggie O’Farrell and many more.